There are not so many, of course, but they could be… Since Galicia has a wide variety of carnivals; 18 are the most well known, of which 9 have been declared of “tourist interest” due to their originality and age.

The origin of Carnival should be found in Roman festivals such as “Saturnalia” (dedicated to the god Saturn, although these festivals are also associated with Christmas), those dedicated th to the god Bacchus (the god of wine who represents chaos, debauchery …) and the “Lupercales” (dedicated to the god Faun consisted of initiation rites, where young Romans were taken to the forest for a few days where they had to live like wild wolves, hence their name that derives from the Latin word “lupus ”). There are scholars who even place its origin in Sumeria (about 5000 years BC) or relate it to the God Apis of Egyptian culture.

Later, they will be adopted by the Christian tradition giving people a brief period of lag and even a “world upside down” ,before Lent, where everything was allowed, hence the tradition of wearing a covered face, covered with masks (famous are those of the carnival Venetian) to avoid being discovered and avoid possible retaliation. These festivals had the function of making the period of Lent more bearable. In fact, carnival comes from the Latin “carnem levare”, which means “abandoning the meat”.

The ANTROIDO (one of the many words that designate the festival in the Galician language) is a very old tradition and deeply rooted in the Community, in fact it was one of the few places in which during the Franco dictatorship they continued to celebrate (since the year 1937 to 1948 were prohibited). Among the Galician carnivals the best known are those in the southern part of the province of Ourense, which stand out for the showiness and originality of their huge masks. Depending on the area they receive one or another name… Peliqueiros in Laza, Pantallas in Xinzo de Limia or Cigarrones in Verín.

But there are also others that stand out for the showiness of their costumes such as the Xenerales do Ulla, near Santiago de Compostela. Curiously, both in the South of Ourense and in the area of ​​Ulla they relate these figures to the royal tax collectors of the past.

A tradition that we cannot stop talking about is that of the well-known “Ravachol parrot” from Pontevedra. A tradition linked to the city of Lérez that refers to the history of the parrot of the city’s apothecary who died on Shrove Tuesday and who, to the displeasure of his owner, his friends decided to bury him with all the pomp (procession included). Apparently it caused such a sensation that they decided that it would be repeated every “Ash Wednesday”.

A tradition that we cannot stop talking about is that of the well-known “Ravachol parrot” from Pontevedra. A tradition linked to the city of Lérez that refers to the history of the parrot of the city’s apothecary who died on Shrove Tuesday and who, to the displeasure of his owner, his friends decided to bury him with all the pomp (procession included). Apparently it caused such a sensation that they decided that it would be repeated every “Ash Wednesday”.    

                 Come Carnival, come quickly,

                        with mask and noise,

                                                                            to be able to play with the girls

                                                                                and to fill the belly well.

 


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